Title Info: Governors Daily Record, Volume A, 1870-1884

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Search This Title:	Governors' Daily Records Search Name (Ctrl click to select multiple) Keywords Date Released From To or
Record Creator:	Governor, Office of the
Description:	The Governor's Daily Record, Volume A, provides a daily record of executive action during the territorial period. This volume contains 1,888 individual executive actions across 480 pages spanning from June 1870 to August 1884, documenting the administrative activities of seven territorial governors and acting governors including Edward S. Salomon (1870-1872), Elisha P. Ferry (1872-1880), and William A. Newell (1880-1884), among others. The records include appointments and commissions of territorial officers, notaries public, and commissioners of deeds; pardons and commutations; official correspondence with federal departments; financial authorizations and expenditures; and various administrative actions required for territorial governance. The volume also contains several comprehensive indices created by territorial administrators, including an index of territorial officers, notaries public appointed from July 1867 to June 1872, commissioners of deeds appointed from April 1855 to August 1872, and legislative bills from the 1871 session. The volume provides comprehensive documentation of executive decision-making processes, federal-territorial relationships, and the appointment of local officials essential to territorial administration.
Related Records:	For more information, or to learn about related records, contact the Washington State Archives at (360) 586-1492, or email research@sos.wa.gov.
Access Restriction Notes:	These records are open for research.
Sources of Transfer	State Government Archives
Notes	How to Search Select "Browse this Series" to view all executive actions organized chronologically by date. Use the name selection list to find records by specific governors or acting governors. Use the keyword search box to find matching terms in the "Summary of Action" field, including any names mentioned in the records. For example, to find actions related to someone named "James," enter "James" in the keyword search box. To find specific types of executive actions, use action verbs exactly as they appear in the summaries. The most common action terms include "appoints", "approves", "commissions", "grants", "issues", "pardons", and "requests". Use the search by date option to find records from a particular time period within the volume. Action Terms Reference This reference guide contains all 35 action terms used in the Summary of Action field for Volume A of the Governor's Daily Record series. Use these exact terms when conducting keyword searches to find specific types of executive actions. Most Commonly Used Terms accepts Accepting resignations, documents, and other official submissions. Example: "Governor accepts resignation of E.S. Fowler as a member of the Board of Pilot Commissioners for Puget Sound." appoints Appointments to territorial positions including notaries public, commissioners, judges, military officers, and other territorial officials. Example: "Governor appoints Col. B.B. Tuttle as Private Secretary pro-tem effective October 2, 1871." approves Approval of official seals, bonds, documents, and various administrative matters. Example: "Acting Governor approves official seals of C.H. Botsford, Notary Public of Pierce County, and J.J. McGilvray, Notary Public of King County." authorizes Authorizing extraditions, law enforcement actions, and other official activities. Example: "Governor authorizes and empowers O.F. Thompson, Sheriff of Umatilla County, Oregon, to apprehend John Simmons, a fugitive from justice." commissions Issuing official commissions to territorial officers and officials. Example: "Governor commissions Captain John L. Butter of Port Townsend as Pilot Commissioner to fill the vacancy on the Board of Pilot Commissioners." grants Granting pardons, remissions of sentence, and other official acts of clemency. Example: "Governor grants full pardon and remission of sentence to H.J. French." issues Issuing warrants, orders, extradition documents, and other official papers. Example: "Governor issues a warrant of extradition authorizing William H. Watkinds to apprehend Valentine S. Howe, an escaped convict." pardons Pardoning convicted individuals, often with conditions or recommendations. Example: "Governor pardons George Bride whose term of imprisonment expires on March 14, 1881, and releases him from payment of costs for good conduct." proclaims Issuing proclamations for elections, holidays, and other official announcements. Example: "Governor proclaims Thursday, November 24th as a day of Public Thanksgiving." requests Official requests and demands, often to other government officials or agencies. Example: "Governor requests that 1st Comptroller R.W. Taylor forward by draft the balance of appropriation for Contingent expenses." Less Commonly Used Terms adds Adding counties to territorial districts or making territorial designations. administers Administering oaths of office to territorial officials. assumes Assuming duties and powers of the governor (used for acting governors). certifies Certifying election results and other official determinations. commands Commanding law enforcement officials to carry out specific actions. commutes Commuting death sentences to life imprisonment or other reduced penalties. declares Declaring election results, vacant offices, and other official determinations. delivers Delivering official messages, typically to the Legislative Assembly. designates Designating representatives for special purposes or events. files Filing oaths of office, official documents, and other required papers makes Making territorial designations such as lumber districts. mandates Mandating specific actions by contractors or other officials. nominates Nominating territorial officers for positions requiring legislative confirmation. notifies Providing official notifications of resumed duties or other status changes. orders Ordering elections and other official actions requiring specific directives. postpones Postponing executions and other scheduled official actions. receives Receiving resignations, declined commissions, and other official documents. reduces Reducing sentences or penalties imposed by courts. remits Remitting fines, sentences, or other penalties imposed by courts. removes Removing officials from office for cause. reprieved Past tense form of reprieve, used for postponing executions. reprieves Granting reprieves from execution, typically pending further review. respites Postponing executions temporarily while maintaining the original sentence. sends Sending official communications to other government officials. transmits Transmitting official bonds and documents to territorial officers. Search Tips Use exact spelling: Search terms must match exactly as shown above Try variations: Some actions may be recorded as both "reprieve" and "reprieved" Combine terms: Use multiple terms to narrow or broaden your search Consider context: Many appointments include position titles (notary, sheriff, commissioner) Locating Specific Actions on Digitized Pages When viewing digitized images, users may encounter multiple executive actions recorded on a single page. Although each action is cataloged as a separate record in the database, the digitized image displays the complete page. To locate a specific action within the page image, refer to the unique reference number assigned to each record. The reference number indicates the page and sequence of the action. For example, the reference number "AR1-1-0-4-vA_p016_01" identifies the first action recorded on page 16 of Volume A, while "AR1-1-0-4-vA_p016_02" indicates the second action on that same page. Users can use these reference numbers to quickly navigate to the correct action within the page image. Digitization and indexing completed by Maggie Cogswell at the Washington State Archives.
Agency History:	According to the Washington State Constitution, "the supreme executive power of this state shall be vested in a governor, who shall hold his office for a term of four years, and until his successor is elected and qualified. The governor may require information in writing from the officers of the state upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and shall see that the laws are faithfully executed."
Preferred Citation:	Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], Territorial Governors, Daily Record, 1870-1889 Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov, [date accessed].
Record Count:	1,914